Redemption
by swimhard2787
Summary: The story of what would happen if Bishop and an evil KC undertook a quest for redemption from their evil pasts.  Alternate universe, postOC.  This is a very different view of Bishop, so if you review, please be kind.
1. Chapter 1

_This story is based on an idea that corglacier and I were tossing around. It is the idea that both Bishop and my CE assassin Carianna could actually earn redemption and become better people._

_I owe stickchick a ton for helping me with this; I couldn't have done it without her. It's totally alternate universe, and outside the OC, but it's just meant to be a good, emotional read. So, don't take it too seriously, alright?_

This was going to be the hardest part of my life. I knew it; I knew it from the moment I'd made that stupid promise to everyone. But I was sick of everything. I was sick of the murders, I was sick of the blood on my hands. I was sick of…everything.

I wanted to be free from my past; I wanted to start anew. I'd made a promise to my comrades that if we were to make it out of the King of Shadow's lair alive, I would dedicate myself to the Morninglord and repent for my wrongdoings. I knew someone who wanted redemption as well, but he refused to budge; he thought he was too far gone to be saved. He claimed he was a "lost cause;" he called me a fool for pledging my life to Lathander. This was my twentieth attempt to convince him. We'd been going at this for weeks.

I was pacing back and forth, gesturing wildly as I looked at the ranger sitting on the log next to me. "Bishop, please, just listen to me…just…"

"Give up, Cari, you can't save me. I'm too far down that other path to turn back now."

"That's what _I_ said, just, please…come with me. I…want you to be with me, to be with me while I do this…"

"Why _me_? Why not bring the paladin?"

"Bishop," I sat down next to him; taking his rough, calloused hands in mine, "please…I know you want this as much as I do. You're not as far gone as you think you are. You could have killed me so many times; how many times did I lie next to you, Bishop? How many times could you have slit my throat in my sleep?"

The ranger looked at the ground. "You know why I didn't, Cari. I still owed that debt to Duncan."

I stared at him; I was hesitant and nervous. "You know as well as I do that his debt was a façade, Bishop. Your debt was repaid the minute we returned with Shandra. You know why you didn't. I'm no churchgoer, but if Lathander is willing to…I don't know, he's the God of renewal, so if he's willing to give me another chance, don't you want those chains to come off, Bishop? Do you want to die for that to happen, or do you want an alternative?" I could feel the tears welling in my eyes. "Bishop, I don't want you to die. And after what you did at the Keep; please, come with me, repent with me. I've promised these priests that I'd try…I don't want to lose you, Bishop. Please." I pleaded with him as the tears spilled down my cheeks.

Bishop looked up at me, his amber eyes studying me closely. I felt the tears falling on our hands. "Bishop…whether you think you can or not, I know you're still capable of caring. Please…you know how we are together. Don't…just…I don't know…I want all those chains off of you, so you can _be_ free, but I don't want it to come with your death. I already feel the weight of my past lifting just by talking to you, just by recognizing that I needed help, just…Bishop; I don't know what else I can say to you…"

I winced as he pulled his hands away; I knew this was hopeless. I turned away and made to stand up, but a strong hand grabbed my arm and held me down. I looked at him, his expression was unreadable. "Why do you care so much, Cari?"

I sighed. "I don't know…I just do. I have come to care for you. I know I shouldn't, and I know it's not your nature to get tied down, but I just…I care for you. There, I said it, now can we commence with your usual barrage of insults so I can leave and you can laugh at me?"

To my surprise, no insults came. Instead, I saw tears welling in the ranger's wolf-like eyes as he slid his hands back into mine. "Cari…why do you care? After I tried to _kill_ you? And nearly succeeded?"

I sighed again. "Because, Bishop, we've spent so much time together, and we've lain together so many times…I can see a good man in there. I just want you to find your release from your past, as I am. And…" I said quietly, "I'd like to think you care about me too, because you didn't fight me in the mere. You left, and you found me when we emerged. You waited for me. I'd like to think you…care."

It was the ranger's turn to sigh. The tears welling in his eyes now threatened to spill over. "Cari, what do you want me to say?"

I shook my head. "I don't want you to say anything. I just want you to come with me; I want you to take the chance I'm giving you, the chance Lathander is giving you, to turn around and come back. If _I_ can do it, and I was as bad as I was, there's no way you couldn't. Don't you want those chains off of you?"

Bishop stared at me; the light from the nearby fire flickering in his eyes. "He'd give me that chance, Cari?"

I nodded. "It's all I want, Bishop." He bent his head down and pulled my hands to his lips. I could feel his warm tears on my skin. His shoulders started to tremble as the tears fell freely; he let go of my hands and threw his arms around my waist, pulling me close to him. I slid my arms around his shoulders, one hand sliding up his neck to stroke his hair as I held him; tears falling down my cheeks.

We sat like that for a long time, his head resting on my shoulder as I gently ran my fingers through his reddish-brown hair. After what felt like an eternity, his tears slowed. He pulled away and sat up; I looked in his bloodshot eyes and saw a light that hadn't been there before; it probably hadn't been there in years. "Cari?" he whispered.

"Yes, Bishop?"

"I'm scared. For the first time in my life, I'm truly scared. I don't know what I'm going to do…I've done so many horrible things in my past…"

I pressed a finger to his lips and silenced him. "Bishop, for every horrible thing you've done, I have one to match. And if they're willing to give me a chance for a new life…"

For the first time in the years I'd known him, he smiled. Not his usual smirk or sneer, but a warm, genuine smile. He reached out and caressed my cheek. "Cari…you'll be with me through all of this, right?"

I nodded. "I'll be there for every step. We'll be there for each other." He closed his eyes and leaned in, kissing me softly. Every kiss I'd gotten from him was usually hungry, or needy, or aggressive; never had he kissed me as gently as he did right then.

He pulled away, his forehead resting against mine as he looked down at my hands. "Will you lay with me tonight, Cari? I just want you to be with me, nothing has to happen."

I smiled back at him. "That would be wonderful. Let's set up our bedrolls, eh?"

Bishop and I proceeded to lay out our bedding next to each other; we stripped down and climbed in. I snuggled my back up against his chest as he wrapped his arm around me and held me close. This was to be the first time we would lie together without anything sexual happening. He asked Karnwyr to keep watch as we drifted off to sleep; the dawn, and Lathander, was to bring a new day, and a new beginning.

I awoke the next morning to Bishop stroking my hair. I opened my eyes and looked up at him; he was smiling as he played with my long, dark hair. He had changed, I could tell before we even made it back to the temple. "You're beautiful, Cari," he murmured, leaning in to kiss my forehead. I giggled, reaching up to caress his unshaven cheek. "You're quite handsome yourself there, ranger."

The smile slowly faded from his face. "We're really going to do this then, right?" I nodded. "Right, there's a temple of Lathander not too far away, I know the priest, and I think he'd be happy to meet you." Bishop sighed. "I'm nervous, Cari. I don't know what I'm going to do…"

I smiled at him. "That's why we're going to the temple. The priest there can point you in the right direction." The smile returned to his face; he had a beautiful smile that touched his amber-brown eyes. I saw it so rarely that I cherished each one. "Then we should set out, eh?"

"Yeah, let's get the camp torn down." We dressed and packed up camp; Bishop threw Karnwyr a strip of dried meat from his pack as he loaded up. I reached out and squeezed his hand, and we set of for the temple.

If someone had told me six months ago, that six months into the future, I'd be sitting in a temple to Lathander, listening to Brother Talman tell me about the Morninglord, redemption, rebirth, and the renewal of the soul, and I'd be sitting there with of all people _Bishop_, the faithless himself…well, I'd have laughed in their face.

Despite that, here we were, in a small temple devoted to the Morninglord, Bishop's hand in mine as we listened to Brother Talman tell us what needed to be done to begin anew. The ranger's head was bowed; his brow furrowed in concentration as he took in the priest's words.

"Now, you two, we usually don't take in such…_extreme_ cases unless you _really_ want to change. Are you prepared for what may be a long, arduous journey?"

"Yes, sir," Bishop said quietly; his grip on my hand tightened.

"We are, sir," I said, nodding.

"Alright, now, to start out, I want you to go and try and right some of the more egregious wrongs you have both committed. Now, I know that you will not be able to correct them all; I just want you to try your hardest. Now, Cari, I know some of your sins are dreadful; you may have a long road ahead of you to correct those. You, boy…"

"Bishop, sir," he said softly.

"Bishop, I do not know your sins, but judging by the company you keep…and the fact that you had to be _convinced_ to come here speaks volumes. What _have_ you done, boy?"

"Far too much, sir." Bishop's eyes were fixed on a spot on the floor that I'm sure he couldn't find _that_ interesting.

The priest sighed. "Alright, boy, I want you to accompany this young woman as she travels; I want you to support each other as you go; confronting your past and facing the horrors you have committed is a harsh and unforgiving trial. Therefore, you should not do this alone."

I nodded to Brother Talman. "Thank you, sir, for this chance to repent. We shall return when our deed is done…no matter how long it takes."

Bishop squeezed my hand tighter. "Aye, sir, we will be back."

Brother Talman smiled. "Then take this blessing of Lathander, and good luck with your journey." I felt Bishop shiver as Lathander's blessing flowed over us; we stood up and bowed to Brother Talman; we set off to begin our journey of redemption.

"You're kidding me, Bishop. How many more of these do we have to visit?"

"This is the _last_ one, I promise."

Eight months; fifteen families and six brothels later, Bishop and I stood in front of our seventh. We'd agreed to let me complete mine first; I visited most of the families of those I had murdered and begged for forgiveness. I recognized that my repentance couldn't bring their murdered loved ones back, but I hope that they at least gained closure.

Bishop's sins were much more…interesting. Fourteen taverns for random thefts, brawls and the occasional groping; seventeen different merchant's stores for again-random thefts, brawls and the occasional groping. This was our seventh brothel; these apologies and contritions usually involved groping.

These last eight months have proven to be the best eight months of my life. Granted, I've been chased from a few people's homes with some random farm implements, but it felt amazing to get all the weight off my chest; to be able to start a new life for myself.

I'd never seen Bishop happier, but we also hadn't started on his final three destinations. He smiled with more ease than ever; he laughed more and danced more…his usual outward sarcasm was now a wry wit, much like that of my old companion Sand. His sharp tongue was now pointed only to himself or at me in a good-natured joke.

It wasn't easy for Bishop at first; his habit of seeing everyone as weak hindered us the first couple months, seeing as half the time he'd just sarcastically reply, "Do it yourself," or "Leave us alone," or my personal favorite, "Shove off, half-wit." Slowly, however, that part of him faded, to be replaced by one who actually _enjoyed_ helping others.

I remember how hard he laughed when I climbed the oak tree in Old Lady Jenkins' backyard to rescue her cat, Cuddles. We had drawn straws to see who would do it; I lost. Bishop laughed as I scampered up the branches; he laughed even harder when the cat jumped down out of its own accord as I crawled nearer. Luckily, he stopped laughing long enough to catch me as I fell from the branch. Normally, he'd have grumbled at the payment for our actions (an apple a piece), but the new Bishop took it and ate it happily.

I couldn't help it; I was falling for him. I loved his smile, the brightness in his eyes as we journeyed together. I loved him. I didn't know if he loved me in return, but for my heart to feel love once more was amazing.

And even now, as we stood outside the door of our seventh brothel, this one called "Madame Simone's," I couldn't help but smile and shake my head as Bishop blushed. "Bishop, what did you do in this one, skip out without paying?"

He smiled sadly. "I wish it were that easy. This one is much more…_complicated_." I frowned. "Complicated, how?"

The ranger sighed. "I lost control, Cari, I wasn't even a…umm…_customer_, I had just stepped in for a drink when one of the…err…_less attractive_ women came over and wouldn't leave me alone. I was tired, and angry…and mildly drunk by this point…and I killed her, Cari," he finished nervously.

I stared at him. "You killed her?"

He nodded sadly. "I didn't mean to, she just…she wouldn't leave me alone, even though I told her to. I regret it now. I just want to make this right."

I smiled; patting him on the arm as I rested my other hand on the hilt of my katana. "Bishop, don't worry, this is the last one. If they try anything, I'm here, remember?"

Bishop smiled. "Thank you, Cari. I know you are; it means a lot to me," he murmured, leaning in to kiss my cheek. I blushed; our newfound selves were suddenly quite shy around each other. We hadn't lain together since that night in the woods, the one when I'd convinced him to come with me. I occasionally missed his animalistic passion, but the new, _shy_ Bishop was much sweeter.

I nodded to him and we stepped inside. Everything went quiet.


	2. Chapter 2

_This story is based on an idea that corglacier and I were tossing around. It is the idea that both Bishop and my CE assassin Carianna could actually earn redemption and become better people._

_I owe stickchick a ton for helping me with this; I couldn't have done it without her. It's totally alternate universe, and outside the OC, but it's just meant to be a good, emotional read. So, don't take it too seriously, alright?_

_I also saw about three different spellings for Redfallow's Watch. I just chose one that seemed to work._

"You shouldn't be here, lad. You've done a great wrong here," a husky female voice said angrily.

I turned around to face the source. A very large, very voluptuous woman stood nearby; her fiery red hair clashed spectacularly with her orange dress. Her eyes were cold as she looked at Bishop.

I stepped forward. "This man is here to repent for his sins, ma'am, and I want you to give him that chance."

The large woman laughed. "My, my Bishop, you've got a real interesting one here. Sadly, that doesn't bring the dear girl back, now does it?"

Bishop sighed. "Madame Simone, I am deeply and truly sorry for my actions. I know I can't bring her back, I just want to know if there's anything I can do…"

The matron laughed. "I know what you can do." She eyed Bishop hungrily, her eyes hesitating below his belt. "Spend the night in my bed, and you've got a deal."

I blanched as Bishop choked. "Forgive me…err…Madame Simone, is it? I'm afraid that is out of the question," I said quietly. "There must be another way."

Madame Simone raised one heavily plucked eyebrow at me. "Ah, jealousy, is it? Don't be jealous, pet. I'll take good care of him."

I glared at her. "The Morninglord frowns upon actions like that; I'll not have you messing up his chances for redemption because you haven't gotten any in a while."

Bishop nodded. "Damn straight. I'm sorry, Madame, but I refuse. I would gladly do any other work around here, but that is out of the question."

The matron rolled her eyes. "Such a pity; I always thought you'd be good in bed. Too bad you won't have the chance to do it again." She reached for a dagger on her belt, almost lazily.

I unsheathed my katana before she even had a chance to blink. "Madame Simone, I really do not wish to resort to violence, but I will. Now, what can Bishop do to repent?"

"He really wants to repent, does he?" she said harshly. "Fine then. Go…just…here," she said, tossing me a key. "This opens the lock on the barn behind here. Go feed my horse, and we're even."

Bishop stared at her. "Are you sure? I killed one of your employees, Madame Simone." The matron laughed. "Bishop, my dear boy, _I_ would have killed her in a week if you hadn't done it yourself. So, in all honesty, you did me a favor. Now, go feed my horse, will you?"

"Thank you, Madame Simone, we are most grateful," I said quickly, pushing Bishop out the door before he had a chance to say something more.

"Can you believe her?" Bishop yelled once we'd reached the barn. "Can you _believe_ that woman? I mean, I killed one of her employees, and first she wants me to sleep with her, now we're feeding her _horse_!"

I nodded, throwing a bale of hay in front of a large, black stallion. "I know, Bishop; she appears to be an _odd_ woman."

The ranger started pacing. "Cari, I'm sick of this. I'm sick of people only seeing me as a sex object! I'm not here for some random woman's pleasure!"

I straightened up and raised an eyebrow. "You know that a year ago, you wouldn't be saying that? You'd be jumping at the chance to get into some woman's bed; you certainly didn't seem to _mind_ it."

He frowned. "Yes, I know, but that's how I feel now…I know I was…promiscuous, but I'm not anymore, and I'm sick of being ogled!"

I sighed, then pointed at my body. "Welcome to the guild. I'm Cari, member since I hit puberty."

Bishop tried to suppress a grin, but failed. He sighed. "I know you understand, and now I know how the women _I_ ogled felt…I just, don't like it, anymore."

I smiled at him. "That's a good sign, you know." He frowned again. "How?"

"Because," I said, walking to him and wrapping my arms around his waist, "it means you're changing. You're seeing your flaws and correcting them, and that's good."

Bishop looked down at me; thinking. "You're right…does this mean I'm starting to see more flaws in the world?"

I nodded. "Yep, and it's a good thing."

Bishop rolled his eyes. "As long as I don't have to become a paladin, I'm okay." I laughed and pushed him away; he growled playfully as he jumped towards me. He grabbed me around the waist and we both fell in the hay. He snuggled up against my neck as I wrapped my arms around his shoulders. I sighed as I felt his heartbeat against me. I looked up at him and smiled. "You're not ready yet, are you?"

He shook his head. "Cari, I want our first time as changed people to be special. Not in a barn…with Madame Simone's horse watching us." I laughed as he stood up, pulling me with him. "Besides," he said quietly, kissing me on the cheek, "I still have a few more stops to make."

We returned to the brothel and returned the matron's key. She made one more pass at Bishop, I ushered the ranger back outside before he could open his mouth again. I shook my head at the look of indignation on his face; he shrugged; taking my hand in his as we plunged onward.

A little over two weeks later, Bishop and I spied the town of Port Llast. We'd decided to pay Malin a visit before continuing to Redfallow's Watch, the first of Bishop's last three stops. The three of us sat in the little Inn, sharing stories and laughing; after Malin overcame her desire to plunge her dagger into Bishop's chest, that is.

The half-elf looked at Bishop. "You've changed, you really have. I hope this woman continues to have a positive effect on you." Bishop smiled; he slid his hand in mine as he stared at her. "Malin, I'm truly sorry for how I treated you when we were together, you never deserved that. I hope someday you can forgive me, and you can find a wonderful man who will make you happy."

Malin smiled. "I will, Bishop. Someday, I will, but not now. I'm just glad you've found someone who can make _you_ happy; you've needed it for far too long.

I nodded. "Thank you, Malin. I appreciate that; we need to keep moving though. We have a long journey ahead of us." The half-elf rose and nodded; Bishop and I followed suit and set off to Redfallow's Watch.


	3. Chapter 3

_Author's note: I took some artistic license with this scene because I wanted to show the reader the raw emotion Bishop feels as he confronts his past._

_And the endearment Bishop says to Cari is Welsh for "my love," and Cari's to Bishop is the same in Gaelic._

_As per the other chapters, this story is based on an idea that corglacier and I were tossing around. It is the idea that both Bishop and my CE assassin Carianna could actually earn redemption and become better people._

_I owe stickchick a ton for helping me with this; I couldn't have done it without her. It's totally alternate universe, and outside the OC, but it's just meant to be a good, emotional read. So, don't take it too seriously, alright?_

Two days later, Bishop and I climbed to the peak of a small hill and looked around. Just below us rested the charred remains of his home village. I looked over at him; tears brimmed in his eyes as they swept over the damage. I slipped my hand in his and squeezed; he turned to me and nodded, plunging onward, me walking beside him.

"Gods, Cari, look at this," he said softly, pointing to the ruins of a large building. "That used to be the tavern. I used to spend hours there, just listening to the travelers with stories from the Mere. I got my first kiss there, I was thirteen. We sneaked around behind it…her dad was mad at me for a week!" Laughter sparkled in his eyes as the nostalgia took hold. "Gods, what was her name…?" He shrugged, "Ah, doesn't matter, she's probably long gone by now anyway," he said ruefully.

He pointed to another building. "And this…this was the old smithy. I remember Aldus well; he helped me make my first longbow. I was, eight, I believe. I loved that bow…I remember how excited and strong I felt the first time I pulled it back and hit my first deer." He smiled sadly. "I had that bow until I was sixteen. It broke when a dire boar stepped on it."

I couldn't hold back a laugh. "You'll have to tell me that story sometime, you know."

As we continued onward, we walked into what had to have been the town of Redfallow's Watch. I could see where pigpens and stables had been. I looked over at Bishop; his shoulders seemed to sag under the weight of his actions. His jaw was set as if he were facing something new and terrifying.

We looked around the skeletal remains of the homes that once stood, and Bishop was quiet as he took in what he had done. Few bodies still remained, as most had been destroyed by the elements or by animals. He paused before one of the larger homes. A look of comprehension crossed his face as he gazed in the soot-covered window. "This was Edward's home, Cari."

I raised an eyebrow in question. "Who's Edward?"

He smiled painfully. "Edward was my best friend growing up. We'd get into so much mischief and trouble…it's a wonder we didn't get thrown in the stocks more often than we did." He walked to the front door. "I had forgotten about him."

We stepped inside and looked around. It looked as if whoever had lived there had grabbed some belongings and left in a hurry. Bishop sighed. "Apparently he actually _listened _to me when I told him to run." We rummaged through the decrepit house, finding burned books and old clothes strewn about. I walked into one of the bedrooms and felt the air rush out of my lungs. "Bishop?"

He hurried to me and stopped suddenly. He knelt down and picked up a small teddy bear that lay on the ground. It was burned and charred, but still undeniably a teddy bear. He stared at it for a long time. "I…had forgotten that Edward had a son. I'd received word of it when I was in Luskan."

Bishop looked around at once was the cradle that once held the baby boy. "It seems they all made it out okay," he said, his voice heavy with sorrow.

Still holding the teddy bear, we left and continued on. He was silent for a long time before he stopped me in front of the remnants of a small house. "Wait Cari, this was _my_ home," he whispered.

Bishop pushed on the remains of the charred front door; it fell from its hinges as we stepped over the threshold. It appeared to be a small, simple home; any furniture was destroyed in the blaze. We turned the corner into the kitchen and he gasped, dropping the bear. We saw two charred bodies lying on the floor, the smaller one clutching an even smaller form.

"No…no, this can't be…" he murmured. "No…" I gently touched his arm; he fell to his knees as he stared at the corpses. I knelt beside him as he started to shake. "Cari…I…no…"

"Bishop, what is it?" I asked quietly. "She wasn't supposed to be here, no, she wasn't," he stuttered.

"Who wasn't supposed to be here?"

He pointed a shaking hand to the tiny form clutched in the arms of one of the scorched bodies. "Eleanor wasn't supposed to be here…" I realized with horror that the tiny body was that of his young sister. Bishop had always talked about finding her one day; about teaching her the ways of nature.

"Cari, she was supposed to be in the care of my grandmother…she shouldn't have _been here_," he said softly; his shoulders heaving as the tears slid down his cheeks. I wrapped my arms around him and held him to my chest; he let out a wail of pain I'd never heard him cry before. It was sorrow, utter and complete grief reaching from the deepest reaches of his heart.

"I killed her Cari; my baby sister…I _killed_ her," he sobbed. "I can't face this anymore, Cari, I just, I can't do this…"

I squeezed him tightly. "Bishop, you've come too far to turn back now. This is painful, and difficult, and trying for you, but you _must_ go on! You _have_ to! I can't lose you!"

He sobbed even harder. "Cari, you don't _deserve_ someone like me. Look at what I've done!"

I sighed, gently stroking his hair as I rocked him back and forth. "Bishop, I don't want anybody else. I want _you_ with me. The fact that you are finally able to grieve for your actions is a remarkable step. Do you think it was easy for me to confront those families? For me to face my horrible deeds? Think about how many sons and daughters I murdered in cold blood. We can do this, but we need to do this _together_."

"Cari, why are we doing this? Why are we putting ourselves through this?"

I sighed again. "Because, Bishop, we both want to start anew. We both want second chances. I'm willing to make the effort to make that change, are you?"

Bishop gulped and sniffled; the tears were slowly ceasing. "I am, but this is so hard. I can't believe Eleanor was here too…I…I really messed up this time."

I nodded. "Yes, we all have, but you can make up for it. Nothing can bring them back, but you can give them respect in death."

The ranger sighed. "You're right, Cari. Let's set up a funeral pyre for them. They deserve their rites."

I smiled sadly. "I know this is hard, Bishop, but you can do this. Your family deserves that much." He nodded, slowly pulling away and standing up. He offered me his hand and pulled me to my feet. We gathered some fresh wood from the nearby trees and built a large pyre. I helped Bishop move the bodies outside, and we stood in silence as the pyre was engulfed in flames.

I closed my eyes; the heat from the fire was burning them. I heard Bishop shift next to me and was startled to hear him sing. I'd only heard him sing once before: he had been drunk off his ass in the Flagon, and he was singing this wonderfully lewd song about an Elven barmaid.

Not this time. He was singing an elvish funeral hymn, something I'd heard Daeghun sing occasionally on the anniversary of the battle of West Harbor. He had a surprisingly beautiful singing voice, given how gravelly his speaking voice tended to be. I felt the tears roll down my cheeks as he chanted, his low tenor echoing in my head. The song was haunting when Daeghun sang it, and the pain in Bishop's voice made it even more so.

His voice was wavering at the end; tears streaked the soot and ash covering his face. He dropped to his knees and clasped his hands together. "Lathander, Morninglord, please forgive me in the face of my sins. I wish nothing more than to begin anew, to be given a second chance. Please, Lathander, hear my plea. I want to be alive again. I want to feel."

I knelt beside him. I'd never heard him pray before, I'm not sure he ever had. I bowed my head and entwined my fingers; I looked sideways at Bishop as I began to pray as well. "Lathander, o Morninglord…please forgive us in the face of our sins. We ask for your patience and your blessing as we continue this path to cleanse our souls."

I felt a warm rush flow over my skin, and I looked down at my hands and saw a faint glow emanating from them. I glanced over at Bishop; his skin had the same faint glow about it. I smiled. "It appears someone has heard our prayers, Bishop."

He looked over his own hands, touching them as if he could not believe they were his. "You're right, Cari. I think I can do this." He turned and smiled at me. "I thank you for believing in me, fy cariad."

I stared at him. "What did you call me?"

He blushed suddenly and looked down. "Nothing; it's nothing Cari."

"Bishop, _what did you say_?" I said quietly, lightly caressing his cheek.

"Fy cariad, Cari. It means…"

I put a finger to his lips. "I know what it means, mo leannán."

His eyes grew wide; I wrapped my fingers in his. "Mo leannán, Cari…"

"Fy cariad, Bishop," I said softly, smiling at the ranger. He slowly pulled a hand away and cradled my chin; I shivered as the calluses scraped against my skin. "Fy cariad…" he whispered, closing his eyes and kissing me gently.

My heart swelled as our lips touched. His kiss, once harsh and selfish, was now soft and loving. His other hand slipped from mine to rest on my knee; I reached up and cupped his face in my hands. We sat like that for a long while, our lips touching, our hands holding each other, exploring these new feelings in ourselves, and each other.

We finally pulled apart, the light in Bishop's eyes was brighter than ever. The kohl that rimmed his eyes was smudged from the tears; I reached up and wiped some of it off his cheeks. He looked at the pyre; the flames reached high, leaping and dancing in the air. "We should rest, Cari, we need to leave for my next stop. I'm, I'm afraid to be alone right now…please, will you sleep with me tonight?"

I smiled. "Of course. Karnwyr can keep watch again. I have some of those beef strips he loves." We set up our bedrolls once more; he wrapped his arm around my side and pulled me close. The warmth of his body was comforting despite the heat emanating from the pyre. Bishop sighed; he pressed his body close to mine as he nuzzled his nose in my hair. "Thank you, Cari, for everything."

I chuckled softly, sliding my other hand up his arm. "You're very welcome, Bishop. Thank you for all you've done, as well."

"Not yet, I take it?" he said, giggling. I turned my head back to look at him; he had a mischievous gleam in his eyes. "Not yet, Bishop, sorry. We are sort of sleeping next to a funeral pyre. And," I said, pulling my arm free and gesturing into the air, "did you just giggle?"

"Sure did, Cari. It's quite fun, actually," he said softly. I laughed to myself as we drifted off, not as two traveling companions, or two hormonally-charged sex addicts, but as two people in love


	4. Chapter 4

_Author's note: this story is based on an idea that corglacier and I were tossing around. It is the idea that both Bishop and my CE assassin Carianna could actually earn redemption and become better people._

_ I also discovered that ancient warriors would wear tattoos of their Gods on their predominant weapon arm, hand, etc. I thought that was cool.  
_

_I owe stickchick a ton for helping me with this; I couldn't have done it without her. It's totally alternate universe, and outside the OC, but it's just meant to be a good, emotional read. So, don't take it too seriously, alright?_

I awoke the next morning to Karnwyr licking my head. I groaned and sat up; Karnwyr seemed pleased with his job and moved on to licking Bishop's head. "Eh, whazzat? Whozzaire?" he said groggily, sitting up as well. Karnwyr whined as I shook my head; my futile attempt to shake off the last remnants of sleepiness.

"Oh no; Cari, we have to pack up, _now_," Bishop said urgently, throwing on his trousers and tunic and quickly buckling his leather.

As I pulled on my own clothes and armor, I asked him, "What's going on?"

He shook his head. "No time, just pack up!" I don't think I'd ever torn down camp so quickly. I had just thrown everything onto my shoulders when Bishop grabbed me by the wrist and pulled me into a nearby thicket.

Thankfully, a ranger and an assassin are skilled at moving without leaving a trail, because not two seconds after we dove into the brush did a Luskan scouting party come through, obviously drawn by the pyre, which had thankfully died down.

"I know they're here somewhere, Captain," a gruff voice said.

"Yeah, they can't have gone far," a higher-pitched voice agreed.

I could feel Bishop tense next to me. I knew his hatred of Luskans was something to be feared. We kept still as the small band looked around, but we'd done such a good job hiding our tracks they couldn't tell which way we'd gone.

After what felt like years, the scouts moved north, obviously heading back to Luskan. I felt Bishop relax once more. I had feared his anger would get the better of him, and I was scared of what may have happened to him had we been spotted. I looked at him with concern. "Bishop, are you alright?"

He sighed. "Cari, for the longest time, the only genuine emotion I could feel was hatred towards those people, but now, now I felt fear. Not even fear for _me_, all I could think about was what I would do to them if they so much as looked at you. I couldn't bear it."

"Really?" He nodded.

"I was thinking the same thing about you, mo leannán," I said quietly.

"Were you?" He seemed astonished. "I've never had anyone care so much about me before, fy cariad." I smiled and gave him a quick kiss. He blushed, a bashful smile playing around his mouth.

I giggled. "Should we get going?"

Bishop nodded. "The grave isn't far, Cari, only a couple hours. Then, our last stop, and we'll be free. If the Morninglord agrees with us, that is," he added hurriedly, looking up at the Heavens as if wishing Lathander himself would come down and give him a pat on the head.

We stuck to the shadows of the forest for the rest of the trip north. It didn't take long for us to reach the mass grave Bishop had buried the Luskans in. I didn't dare ask him what he had done here, or near here, for his face had taken on a stony quality as he looked at the simple boulder marking the large pit behind it.

"I know I cannot make amends to every family each victim is a part of," he said quietly, "I only ask for forgiveness for my actions, actions that were once driven by hatred. There is no room in my heart for hatred anymore," he looked at me, "only love, and the other wonderful emotions that come with it."

I smiled and took his hands. "I too, feel no hatred anymore. Not towards anyone, not even that monster of my youth. My heart is only filled with my love for you, Bishop." The ranger smiled back, but we broke apart as we were simultaneously hit with a fierce wave of pain.

I cried out as the skin on my inner forearms burned; I could hear Bishop yelling as he clutched the back of his right hand. Then, as suddenly as the pain had started, it ceased. I tore my bracers off, expecting to see my skin burned off, but instead I saw two highly-detailed, golden-red suns on my forearms, one even covering the long, thin scar on my left arm from when I left Cyric's service. I looked at Bishop and raised my arms; he looked down at his hand in amazement as he turned it to face me. He bore an identical sun on the back of his bow-hand.

I stared at the brands in amazement. "Lathander must think we can really do this, Bishop, he doesn't bestow these brands on just any pilgrims."

Bishop laughed. "Hey, I'm happy to do this as long as we can, just as long as I don't have to become a paladin…_ouch_!" He yelped and grabbed his right hand, making a face as he looked up to the sky. "Fine! No more paladin cracks!" I laughed.

_Lathander obviously has as much faith in us as we do in him_, I thought. "You ready for that last stop, Bishop? It's a last stop of sorts for me as well."

He nodded. "Let's head out. If we're lucky, we can make it to the Keep in a little over a week."


	5. Chapter 5

_Author's note: this story is based on an idea that corglacier and I were tossing around. It is the idea that both Bishop and my CE assassin Carianna could actually earn redemption and become better people._

_I owe stickchick a ton for helping me with this; I couldn't have done it without her. It's totally alternate universe, and outside the OC, but it's just meant to be a good, emotional read. So, don't take it too seriously, alright? _

Ah, Crossroad Keep. How I hated it when it was thrust upon me so many months ago. I grudgingly rebuilt the bloody thing, but I had no love for it. Part of the promise in the Mere was that if we were to get out, Casavir would take control of it. And we made it, so he did.

I doubt Casavir had forgotten what I had done to him so many months ago, but I doubt he knew the influence he had on me, and in turn, on Bishop. Bishop and Casavir _hated_ each other. And by "hated," I mean "if looks could kill they'd both be flayed open on a table in the Flagon right now" hated.

Bishop used to despise Casavir's innate goodness, I used to berate Casavir for constantly telling me what to do. Bishop and I had come up with a plan for me to trick the paladin into falling, but the trick was on us. I did manage to get him to care for me, but not without a cost to my former self.

Casavir was patient. He tried to teach me that being good was an admirable thing, that lawfulness was something to be proud of. I'd always laughed at him behind his back, but little did I know that it would be his teachings that would set me on the path I currently travel.

I hurt Casavir; when he proclaimed his love for me atop the battlements, I had to turn him away. My heart wasn't capable of love then and now it only held love for Bishop. I'd heard he was married to a beautiful rogue who loved him as much as he loved her.

Despite how hard I fought against it, Casavir still managed to change me. I had to apologize for my actions that night, and for my actions in the Mere. I remember the fear in his eyes as the King of Shadows tried to get me to turn. He knew my evil nature and was afraid that his teachings had failed. One thing I'm proud of now is the relief and happiness on his face as I told the dear King to "shove it." I had so much to tell him. I wanted to thank him for saving me, and apologize for hurting him.

Bishop, on the other hand, had to repent for nearly _anything_ that came out of his mouth over the years when we were all traveling together, along with the whole "destroying-the-gates-and-leaving-us-to-die" thing.

As we neared Crossroad Keep, Bishop spotted a campfire burning in a small clearing nearby. We stopped. Always wary, I silently slipped my Papyrus Blades out of their sheathes; I faintly heard Bishop draw Coldheart as we listened carefully. I heard a rustle in the bushes nearby and turned. I had a split second to raise my katanas in defense as a longsword swung at my head. "Carianna?" a familiar, deep voice asked.

"Casavir?" I asked in return, letting my low-light vision take over as I struggled to make out the massive form standing beside me.

I could tell he was smiling even though I couldn't see it. "It is you! I'd recognize that glowing katana anywhere!" The paladin dropped his longsword and pulled me into a bone-crushing hug, lifting me a good foot off the ground. It wasn't until I tapped him on the shoulder and said "Air!" in a strangled voice did he finally set me down. He scooped up his longsword and grabbed my wrist. "Here, come, sit by the fire, how have you been?"

I hesitated. "Casavir, I have someone with me who needs to talk with you." I turned back to where Bishop was hidden; I heard the arrow go back in his quiver as he stepped out of the shadows.

Even with the little light around us, I could tell the smile was sliding off his face. "Cari, why is _he_ here?" Casavir asked quietly.

I sighed. "He's part of why I'm here Cas. We have _much_ to tell you."

Casavir led the way back to the clearing, where the three of us settled around the campfire and I was able to get a good look at him. There was more gray in his hair than there had been when I left, and the slight bit of stubble was now a handsome black beard, but he was still the same Cas. He looked me over, those sparkling blue eyes studying me closely. "You seem thinner then when you left, Cari. Are you well?"

I nodded. "We've been traveling for the past eleven months, Cas." He looked from Bishop to me, confused. "Traveling?"

Bishop nodded. "Yes, Casavir, we've been traveling all over the Sword Coast, repenting for past wrongdoings, doing as Lathander asked of us."

Casavir stared at me. "What is he talking about? He was a Faithless, wasn't he?"

I nodded. "Yes, Cas, he _was_ a faithless, just as I once worshipped Cyric. Here, look at this," I said, pulling off my bracers and showing him my forearms. Bishop took the glove off his right hand and held it up.

Casavir stared at the brands and shook his head in disbelief. "They're real; I can feel their divine magic. I'm just astonished, is all."

I smiled. "Well, we have you to thank, Cas." The paladin raised an eyebrow. "Me?" he asked.

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, you. Granted, all that _was_ part of an evil plan between the ranger here and me, but it failed spectacularly, due to the little seeds of goodness you planted in my mind. All that talk about forgiveness and repenting and redemption…well, it followed me. And that's why I made that promise back in the Mere. If we were to make it out of there alive, I'd take what you taught me and keep going. I just happened to take Bishop with me."

"We knew that most of the good Gods would not look favorably upon us," Bishop said, "but Lathander is the god of the dawn, and of renewal, and what's better for a couple of evil ones like we were than a fresh start?"

"He took some convincing though," I said, inclining my head at Bishop, who playfully shoved me away. "But he finally came through. And we've spent the last eleven months repenting, and doing good deeds, like helping out the beggar children in the Docks, recovering stolen items…"

"…rescuing cats from trees," Bishop muttered under his breath.

"_I_ rescued Cuddles, _you_ just caught me when I fell, if you remember," I said quickly. I looked over at Casavir, who was studying Bishop closely.

"Cari…what did you _do_ to him? Why no snide remarks? And _why_ isn't he calling me 'paladin?' Or making fun of me for being one?"

"Oh, I can try to make fun of you, Casavir, but watch what happens." Bishop cleared his throat. "The reason paladins are hell on the battlefield is that they don't have enough sex." He smiled, and then yelped as his brand burned once more. He winced, rubbing his sore hand. "See? I don't really even want to anymore."

"I can see why," Casavir said quietly.

I rolled my eyes. "Cas, we are here to try to repent, to try to make things right."

He stared at me. "Cari, you have done nothing wrong."

I raised an eyebrow. "Oh, you mean other than me trying to trick you into falling, breaking your heart and almost getting us all killed?"

Casavir nodded in agreement. "Well, you did do all those things, but they didn't succeed, did they?"

"Well, no…" I began, but Casavir cut me off with a wave of his hand. "Then don't worry. I could tell your plan from the start. Whoever taught you to cloak against my Detect Evil did a poor job. And Cari, I did care for you, but I didn't love you. You are far more like a sister to me. I love my wife more than anything in the world. And you didn't almost get us killed, you'd never have turned, I knew it from the moment you came to me. Whether you liked it or not, you didn't come to me as part of a trick, you came to me because you genuinely wanted to change. And now you have."

I looked at him. "Wait…so, you knew this the whole time?"

The paladin grinned. "Being older has its plusses, Cari."

I smacked my forehead. "So all that time Bishop and I spent sneaking around…"

Casavir raised an eyebrow. "Well, I wouldn't go around advertising your bedroom exploits, but yes, I suppose you needn't have sneaked around."

I sighed. "Well, I'm glad that's taken care of, but I think Bishop has some things to say to you too, Cas."

Bishop stared at the ground, absentmindedly rubbing the new mark on his hand. "Casavir, there's nothing I can say to make up for what I've done to you. Especially my betrayal. I only can ask for your mercy and your forgiveness. Know that I'm a changed man, Casavir. I've had to face my sins and have become a stronger man for it." He sighed. "You never deserved the shit I gave you, Casavir. I was just…jealous. I saw the man you became after a horrible decision, and I was jealous. I could have become that man, but instead, I became a bitter, harsh, sarcastic…"

"Twit?" I offered.

Bishop gave me a look. "Twit, yes. Jealousy does not excuse my actions. It only serves to shed light upon them. And there are far too few apologies in the world to make up for my betraying all of you. I can never forget that. Just know that I will regret that decision 'til my dying day."

Casavir sighed. "You regret it then?" Bishop nodded. "Well, at least that's something. I do forgive you, Bishop, for many of your flaws and indiscretions. You do seem to be a different man then the one we met in the Mere. I once believed myself to be a traitor to my country. I still live with that knowledge and I will not allow you to forget yours. You need to keep that inside you, Bishop, to drive you forward, to push you to better yourself."

Bishop was silent for a long time, his fingers still rubbing his brand. "Thank you, Casavir, you're right. I still see the look on Cari's face as I ran into the shadows. It haunts me. I'll never forget it; it's that look that keeps me going. I never want to see her hurt like that again." There were tears in his eyes. "Cas, you have no idea how much it means to me that you are willing to give me a second chance."

The paladin smiled. "Everyone deserves a second chance, Bishop. Cari gave me one at Old Owl Well, just as I gave her one when she came to me. Lathander appears to be giving you both one, so cherish it."

I nodded. "This was actually our final stop, Cas. Bishop wanted to save your apology until the end. He felt you should see him as a different man."

Cas smiled. "And he is, Cari. You both have changed; there is much happiness in the air about you now." He paused, looking thoughtful. "The Keep has flourished since your departure. We are planning an anniversary celebration next month to celebrate the end of the King of Shadows. I think the hero herself should be in attendance," he said, grinning.

I shook my head. "Cas, I'm no hero. I only did what needed to be done."

He laughed. "That's what heroes do, Cari, they keep going in the face of impossible odds. I don't think you heard Khelgar laughing when you looked up at the King of Shadows and said, 'I've seen bigger.'"

I sighed. "Alright, we'll be there. Who's still at the Keep?"

"Well, all our companions, save Qara (I winced at her name) are living there now; Nevalle is still there, along with Bevil and Aldanon. Kana and the rest of the sergeants are currently in Neverwinter proper, aiding the City Watch, but they'll be coming back for the festivities." He paused again. "And Nasher will be there too, I believe."

I groaned. "I don't think he likes me much, does he?" Casavir laughed. "I think he's irritated at your decision to 'disappear' as you did, but I think he'll respect the changes you've made in your life. Yours too," he added as Bishop opened his mouth to speak.

I nodded. "Alright, thank you, Casavir. We have to make our journey back to the temple, but we'll be here in a month, okay?"

Casavir smiled. "I look forward to it. Thank you for this visit Cari. I do hope I'll see you more, I miss you. Everyone misses you."

"I'll be around, Cas. Don't worry."

Bishop extended his hand over the fire to Casavir, who stared at it for a moment before grabbing his forearm and shaking it. Bishop nodded, and with that, he and I started our trek back to the Morninglord's temple where our journey began.


	6. Chapter 6

_Author's note: this story is based on an idea that corglacier and I were tossing around. It is the idea that both Bishop and my CE assassin Carianna could actually earn redemption and become better people._

_I owe stickchick a ton for helping me with this; I couldn't have done it without her. It's totally alternate universe, and outside the OC, but it's just meant to be a good, emotional read. So, don't take it too seriously, alright?_

_And also, there are some adult situations in this chapter. I tried to keep it tender and sweet, and within the guidelines of the ratings system. Please let me know if the situations make you uncomfortable, I will alter it.  
_

It didn't take us long to make it back. We met Brother Talman and spoke of our journey; he was overjoyed at our progress and commended us on the strength it took to face our pasts.

"Few who have done such horrible deeds and face them make it out as you two did," the priest said softly. "Lathander is smiling down upon you two. I have nothing more to do for you."

I grinned; I looked at Bishop and he was smiling as well. "Thank you, Brother Talman, for everything," I said, "for believing in us, for caring about us; but for most of all, giving us the chance for redemption."

He smiled. "I think you're there, both of you. Go now, and face your lives as truly good people."

Once we'd left the temple, Bishop and I decided to head back to Crossroad Keep, but we'd take our time. We wanted to experience all the beauty nature had to offer and to explore the newfound love in our hearts.

About a week after we'd left, I spied an apple tree in the middle of a small grove. I hadn't had an apple in months. Most had fallen already, but for some reason, this tree still held many ripe, crisp apples. I ran ahead and grabbed a branch; I swiftly climbed up and snatched a few of the bigger ones.

I dropped back to the ground and was surprised to see that Bishop had spread out his blanket at the base of the tree. He bashfully looked up at me. My heart started racing as I sat beside him. I blushed and handed him an apple. He took it and put it in his bag; he took the rest out of my hands and followed suit.

Bishop's hands were trembling as they reached for me. "Cari, I love you more than anything in the world. You have helped me become a better man, a _happier_ man, than I could ever hope to be. I thank you, from the bottom of my heart."

I smiled shyly and looked down. "You are very welcome, Bishop. I thank you for the same thing. You have helped me during the darkest moments of my life. It means so much that you're here beside me. I love you Bishop, with all my heart."

He reached up and gently cradled my chin. I could see tears shining in his honey-brown eyes. "Fy cariad," he whispered, wrapping his other arm around my waist and kissing me. I slid my arms around his neck as his kiss became more passionate, but not hungry, or fierce, as they once were. He suddenly pulled away, his eyes bright. "Cari, I don't know how to say this…but, I think we're ready. Would you…"

Before he could finish I softly pressed my lips against his once more. He jumped a little, then relaxed. His other hand wrapped around me and pulled me close. I slowly started leaning back. Once he realized what I wanted he gently pushed forward, so I ended up on my back with his weight resting on top of me. He pulled away; his hand sliding out from under me so he could softly stroke my cheek.

He smiled uncertainly down at me. "Cari, is this what you want?" I reached up and ran my fingers through his reddish-brown hair.

"Yes, Bishop, I want this. I want this as much as you do."

His smile became more confident. "That's good, then, I guess…"

I laughed. "Are you nervous?"

He nodded. "Cari, I've always been able to have empty, emotionless sex. I've never been with anyone I've truly loved, anyone like you. And I'm nervous."

I smiled. "I'm nervous too, Bishop. But we love each other. Everything else will fall into place."

He breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Cari," he murmured, kissing me once more.

My heart started pounding in my chest as his rough hand slid to the back of my neck. I felt a shiver pass through me as his fingers tangled themselves in my hair. His other hand gracefully went to work on the buckles that held my leathers together. I untied his cloak and threw it aside as he pulled my armor off of me. He sat back, straddling me, and placed my armor in a neat pile next to his cloak. He rested on his heels as I proceeded to unbuckle his armor. He shrugged it off and folded it beside mine. His linen tunic and trousers were wrinkled from being trapped under his leathers.

He blushed as he looked down at me; I was suddenly quite aware of the large bulge beneath his belt. He caught me looking and smiled, I felt the heat rising in my cheeks as I looked away. We were so shy now. It was like we were young children again, just discovering something wonderful and new.

Bishop wrapped his fingers in the hem of my tunic; very slowly and deliberately he pulled it up over my head. His cheeks turned an even deeper shade of pink as he looked at the linen band I use to bind my breasts. I reached out and tugged on the bottom of his tunic; he smiled bashfully and pulled it off, folding it neatly and placing it on top of mine.

I hadn't seen him without a shirt on in months. We'd taken to dressing apart, so as not to spark temptation while we traveled. All I had to go on were my memories. His body was just as I remembered: the broad, muscular planes of his chest, the light dusting of sandy-brown hair that covered his skin, the way it rippled as it traveled down his chest and over his stomach, each muscle chiseled and defined. The scars and burns that covered his skin only succeeded in making him more rugged.

I reached up and lightly ran my fingernails over his stomach. I suppressed a giggle as he trembled at my touch. He leaned forward and slowly began to untie my linen band, his fingers shaking as they moved. My body ached in anticipation as his fingers left little trails of heat where they met my skin. After what felt like an eternity, he finally pulled the cloth away. Despite the number of times he'd seen them, I longed for him to touch them, to kiss them.

His fingers slid down my side towards my hips; my back arched in response, silently begging for his lips. He smiled and gently pressed a hand between my breasts, easing me back down. He slid his fingers along the waist of my trousers; I reached up and slowly untied the bow holding his up as he worked on mine. Bishop sat up a little bit, sliding his trousers over his hips and revealing his hard length to me. He was as impressive as he was in my memories.

He stood up long enough to pull his pants off completely. I slipped out of mine and he took them from me; folding them neatly and placing them with our other clothes. I held back a grin as I noticed how careful he was. He drank in my naked body with his eyes, eyes that once blazed with an uncontrollable lust now burned with a brightness only love could bring.

I smiled up at him. I could tell the same love was reflected in my eyes. He reached down and helped me up, hugging me to his body. He rested his chin on the top of my head as we stood there, holding each other, savoring the moment. I loved the way the wind felt over my bare skin. He slowly sat down, leaning his back against the apple tree. He gently pulled me down to him. I straddled his hips; he wrapped his arms around my waist and held me close. The touch of his skin set my body aflame.

He leaned in and pressed his lips to my shoulders. I shivered as they traveled up my neck. His tongue tickled my ear; I could feel him grin against me as I gasped. His breath was fire on my skin. His long fingers gently caressed the skin on my back as he slowly pulled his lips away. I felt my heart beat even faster as his smoldering, amber-brown eyes bored into mine. His hands slid up my back and began massaging my neck. I sighed as one of his hands wound its way into my hair. I could feel a flush rising in my cheeks as his eyes gazed over my body.

I slipped my hands around his shoulders as his slid to my hips, easing us together, joining our bodies as one. I gasped and a look of concern crossed his face. "Are you alright? I just want you to be comfortable…"

I smiled to myself at the care he was taking with every little detail. Bishop had never cared about anyone's pleasure but his own. I'd actually gone through three sets of my assassin's leathers because he was in such a hurry to get me undressed he'd sliced through the buckles, ruining them. Then it was, "I'm going to thrust myself into you as hard as I can for as long as I want, and if you climax, good for you." At the time, that's all I needed. I used to milk his body dry for my pleasure.

Now though, he held me close, his eyes burning with a mixture of desire and love as his hands roamed over my back. "Your hair is so soft, Cari," he whispered as he tenderly stroked it. As I realized that cared about my comfort and pleasure, I knew, with every fiber of my being, he had changed. I smiled at him, a sigh escaping his lips as I gripped him tightly. Slowly, deliberately, we began to move, my heart racing as his lips covered mine.

I could feel his muscles tense beneath me as his kisses roamed, straying from my lips to my neck to my shoulders. He nuzzled his head in the crook of my neck as our pace increased; the pleasure building within me. I was startled to hear him breathe my name as he gripped me harder. I had become accustomed to hearing him scream it amidst the throes of passion, not spoken softly as if to a lover.

The once-slow pace now took on a life of its own; our movements became more frenzied as we neared our release. I couldn't help but notice the sweat rolling over his body. It must have been hell for him, but he was holding back. For the first time in our years together, he was waiting for me. So we moved faster, whispering the other's name, hands roaming and caressing with an agonizing softness.

After a few more tantalizing moments I gasped his name; my heart swelled in a way I'd never known as the pleasure coursed within me. Sensing my release, Bishop arched his back and sighed, leaning his head back against the tree, whispering my name as his muscles strained. I soon heard his sharp intake of breath, and as his body relaxed I knew he'd found his own pleasure.

We held each other for a long time, our breaths coming in long gasps as our bodies trembled. The wind was welcomed; we shivered as the breeze cooled the sweat glistening on our skin. Bishop smiled and ran his fingers through my damp hair. "I love you," he murmured, kissing me gently. "Thank you."

I grinned back at him. "For what?" His eyes, bright with emotion, met mine once more, "For everything, my love."

I nuzzled my head against his shoulder. "You're very welcome, mo leannán. I love you too."


	7. Chapter 7

_Author's note: this story is based on an idea that corglacier and I were tossing around. It is the idea that both Bishop and my CE assassin Carianna could actually earn redemption and become better people._

I owe stickchick a ton for helping me with this; I couldn't have done it without her. It's totally alternate universe, and outside the OC, but it's just meant to be a good, emotional read. So, don't take it too seriously, alright?

The two of us camped under the apple tree that night. As we fell asleep in each other's arms, Bishop's body providing more warmth and comfort than the nearby fire, I was truly happy for the first time in years.

We reached the Keep two weeks after our night under the apple tree. The celebration was massive, even Nasher came down to partake in the celebrations with us. Granted, I did get the glare of death from him, but I was so happy I didn't care. I grabbed him and spun him around the dance floor as Bishop stood nearby, laughing.

Once our companions had seen me arrive with Bishop, they reacted as I feared they would. After a small skirmish that involved Bishop getting tackled by Khelgar, Khelgar getting tackled by me and Ammon Jerro stopping us all by summoning a demon I didn't even know _existed_, we all sat down and had a good talk. By the end, everyone, even wonderfully skeptical Sand was convinced that Bishop and I had made a turn for the better.

Not long after the celebrations had concluded, thanks to Sand's alchemy skills and keen sense of smell, I discovered I was pregnant. I smiled to myself as I realized that, in all the times Bishop and I had been together before that night under the apple tree, I'd never once ended up pregnant.

I still remember Bishop's reaction when I told him. I honestly didn't think it was humanly possible for a man's eyes to get that wide and not get stuck, but once the shock had worn off he ran to find Casavir. The poor paladin had a look of absolute terror on his face as Bishop threw his arms around him and told him the good news. Soon the whole place heard about it, about the former Captain of Crossroad Keep and her ranger lover having a baby.

For the sake of the baby, Bishop and I decided to stay at the Keep until the birth. We also decided it would be best for the two of us to marry; we'd already given our hearts to the other but it would be for the benefit of us and the baby if it were official in the eyes of Lathander.

So, two months into the pregnancy, Bishop and I were married. It was a small ceremony held in the courtyard of the Keep. All of my companions came to watch; Khelgar still couldn't believe that the new Bishop was real. We had Brother Talman come in and perform the ceremony, and when he announced us as husband and wife Bishop swept me up, dipped me low and kissed me. Everyone cheered, although it was met by disgusted groans by Khelgar, who yelped loudly as Sand smacked him.

Bishop and I waited out the remainder of the pregnancy doing various jobs around the Keep: I helped Casavir with the paperwork and Bishop would go out hunting to provide food for everyone. Then, one night during the harvest season, I gave birth to a son, Caelan. Bishop had been out hunting when I went into labor. Sand ran all over trying to find Nevalle, the only man still in the keep who could ride a horse decently.

Two days later, after Zhjaeve and Elanee had helped get me through the birth and the aftermath, I was sitting up in our bed as Bishop came bursting in, out of breath. He stopped suddenly as I smiled at him, holding the baby. "It's a boy, Bishop."

"A son?" he whispered. Zhjaeve and Elanee quickly ducked out as Bishop walked over and gently took the baby boy in his arms. I smiled broadly as Bishop sat on the bed beside me, cradling our son; his eyes alight with emotion and love. "He's got your eyes, you know," I said softly.

The ranger grinned and looked down at little Caelan, and sure enough, the little boy had bright amber-brown eyes, just like his father. Bishop smiled and stroked Caelan's tiny patch of nearly-black hair. "He's got your hair, Cari."

I could feel the tears welling in my eyes as I looked at Bishop holding and nuzzling our son, never in my life could I have dreamed that I could be as happy as I was then. Bishop turned to look at me and I saw tears shining in his eyes as well. "Cari, I love you so much," he murmured, leaning in and kissing me.

We jumped as the bedroom door burst open again and Neeshka, Khelgar, Sand and Grobnar came rushing in. Bishop clutched Caelan to his chest as the other four companions joined us on the bed.

"Oh my, Sir Bishop, Lady Carianna, congratulations! Zhjaeve and Elanee finally said it would be okay for us to visit!" Grobnar said excitedly, jumping up and down on the bed. "Can I sing? Let me sing, please?" I winced in pain; I'm sure Grobnar didn't _mean_ to hurt me, I was just very sore. And the bouncing wasn't helping.

"Ah, sit down lad; can't you see yer makin' the wee thing nervous?" Khelgar snapped, grabbing the gnome and yanking him down. "Although, when he can walk, I get to take 'im out and tell him stories, lass."

"Lemme see! Lemme see!" Neeshka squealed, holding out her hands and looking at Bishop, who raised an eyebrow.

"You realize that this is a _baby_, right? You have to be careful?" he said.

The tiefling nodded, "Of course, baby, fragile, gentle, I get it. Now, is it a boy or a girl?"

Sand smirked. "My dear tiefling, I'd be willing to bet good money it's a boy."

Neeshka scowled. "Why do you say that?" The elf laughed. "Well, Neeshka, that," he said, pointing to my son.

Neeshka looked closely at Caelan and then jumped back. "Yeah, he's a boy alright! What's his name?" Bishop looked down and stroked Caelan's cheek; the baby reached up and grabbed one of Bishop's long fingers with his tiny hands and proceeded to suckle on it. "Caelan," he said softly.

There was a collective "aww" from everyone in the room. Sand tapped me on the shoulder. "Ah, my dear girl, despite my knowledge of the human reproductive cycle not being as extensive as my knowledge of potion reagents, I do believe it means the dear boy is hungry."

Grobnar grinned. "My, I've never watched a human mother nurse before! Would it be okay if I-"

"NO!" four voices shouted in unison. I smiled. "Grobnar, I would be happy to explain the process a different time, but I'm tired and we all need some rest. How about leaving us for now, okay? All of you?"

Neeshka sighed. "Fine, I'll just play with him tomorrow," she said in that mock-sad voice she has at times. Soon, it was just Bishop, Caelan and me sitting on the bed. Bishop began rocking Caelan back and forth as I unbuttoned my shirt to let him nurse. Bishop handed our son to me and I held him close to my bosom, despite everything I couldn't suppress a slight shiver as those little lips closed over me, suckling me.

A wave of emotion hit me as I looked down at Caelan, this innocent little thing that depended on Bishop and me for everything. As if he'd noticed it, Bishop scooted closer to me and wrapped his arm around me, kissing the top of my head as I snuggled against his shoulder.

We sat like that for a long time, the only sound being that of Caelan suckling and of the long, deep breaths coming from Bishop and me. Soon, Caelan yawned and closed his eyes, nestling himself against my chest. Bishop smiled and gently picked him up, walked him over and slowly put him into his cradle. He touched our son with the same tenderness he showed me with that night under the apple tree; that same loving caress he now touched me with daily.

I sighed and slid under the covers, completely exhausted. I rolled over and watched as Bishop slipped out of his armor and linens and climbed into bed beside me. I was half-asleep as he unbuttoned my shirt the rest of the way and pulled it off. I groaned sleepily as he stretched out beside me, sliding an arm around me and pulling me close. I sighed contentedly as I lay my head on his shoulder, wrapping my arm around his chest.

"Cari?" he whispered.

"Uh-huh?"

"Caelan's beautiful." I nodded into his shoulder, enjoying the feeling of my arm rising and falling in time with his breaths.

We lay in silence for a few more moments before he spoke again. "I just wanted you to know that you're a very brave woman, Cari. To bring little Caelan into this world took a great deal of strength."

I smiled. "Thanks, but Elanee helped with the process and Zhjaeve helped with the pain."

He shook his head. "That's not what I meant, Cari. I meant for us, two people who used to be as evil as you could get, to make such an innocent creature, and for you to bring that innocence and life into the world…it takes strength."

The sleepiness faded slightly as I looked up at him. "I didn't do this alone, you know. For Lathander's sake, you rode here on a horse with _Nevalle_. You know, the man we used to tick off by having sex on his desk?"

Bishop smirked at the memory. "Yeah, he really didn't like us, did he?" I shook my head and Bishop sighed. "I really think we've been given a wonderful chance here, Cari, to raise Caelan to be a good, upstanding man." I nodded, yawning into his shoulder. He smiled and kissed my forehead.

"I'll let you sleep now," he murmured as I drifted off to sleep.

The three of us, Bishop, Caelan and I all stayed in the Keep that winter. We had planned to leave once spring began, but "Auntie" Neeshka and "Uncles" Khelgar, Grobnar, Sand and Casavir didn't want us to go, so we decided to move into a small house in the outlying farmland of the Keep. It was close enough to the Keep to make visiting easy, and close enough to the woods for Bishop to go out and hunt without worrying too much about us.

The years passed, with each one Caelan grew bigger and stronger. Bishop's hair was long now; he usually kept it pulled back with a leather strap so it didn't get in the way. His shadow of facial hair was now a full reddish-brown beard, something that Caelan loved to pull if he could get his hands on it. For Caelan's fifth birthday, much to Bishop's and my dismay, Neeshka sneaked him out and showed him how to pick the lock to Casavir's desk.

Needless to say, Uncle Casavir wasn't appreciative of that once he opened his desk drawer and discovered it was full of belladonna.

As Caelan grew, my old comrades started teaching him what they knew. Sand showed him how to make an invisibility potion, which caused Bishop to panic when he couldn't find him for a good three hours. True to his word, Khelgar would take Caelan on long walks and tell him grand stories of our adventures together, probably fudging the details a bit, but they seemed to entertain him.

Grobnar taught Caelan how to sing, something that I wasn't all that thrilled about the night he came home singing a healing song that ironically contained quite a bit about blood and gore, but was more than happy to hear the night a dire boar got loose nearby.

Once Caelan turned seven, Uncle Casavir started coming out once a week to teach him the art of using a sword. I was excellent with light weapons, and Bishop was unmatched in skill when it came to his longbow, but neither one of us could really use a big, heavy weapon. At the rate Caelan was growing, he'd be good with one.

Not too long after his birthday, I realized I was pregnant again. Caelan was excited to have a little sibling to play with, even if he had to wait nine more months for it. So, nine months later, Bishop and I welcomed a daughter, Amavain. Bishop insisted she looked like me, despite her tiny mop of reddish-brown hair. I agree, she had my eyes, but she looked like a perfect mix of the two of us.

Our son, on the other hand…Caelan was his father in miniature form: tall for his age, with a strong, chiseled jaw and those distinctive wolfish, amber-brown eyes. The only difference was that he had my dark hair instead of Bishop's reddish-brown hair. He was a handsome boy, and very much like his father was at his age. It became glaringly obvious the night the father of one of the little girls that lived nearby came to our door, irate that Caelan had been kissing his daughter. I pointed out that Caelan was only seven and didn't know any better. After the man left, I sighed and resigned myself to talking to Caelan about it in the morning.

Needless to say, the whole Keep got a laugh out of _that_ one.

A couple months later Caelan's eighth birthday rolled around, and as a gift Bishop presented him with a longbow he'd crafted himself. Caelan was excited; after all, he'd seen his dad use one quite a few times and wanted one of his own. He ran outside, squealing, as Bishop followed on his heels, laughing.

As I stood in the doorway to our home watching Bishop kneel down and teach Caelan how to string his new longbow, I couldn't help but smile. It had been so long ago that Bishop and I had faced our pasts and come out as better people, and now, with our home and our son and daughter, we were both happy.

I grinned as Bishop helped Caelan pull back the bow. Caelan let it fly and started jumping up and down when it hit the straw target a few yards away. He threw his hands around Bishop, who picked him up and spun him around in a big circle. Once he was safely down on the ground he came running over, crying "Mama! Did you see that? Did you see? I hit it!"

I laughed as I pulled him into a hug and winced as the bow hit me in the head with a rather loud _thunk_. I heard Bishop chuckling as I stood up. I gave him a look and he smiled, pulling me close to him and kissing the top of my head. As the three of us stood together, little Amavain sleeping in her cradle nearby, I couldn't believe that Bishop's heart, that _my _heart could have been as black as it was nearly a decade ago. We heard a knock at the door and Caelan ran out to show Uncle Casavir his new longbow.

Bishop and I watched out the window as Caelan managed to pull the bow back by himself and hit the target once more. I felt an arm slide around my waist; I turned and looked up into Bishop's intense, loving eyes and smiled. As he leaned in and kissed me I realized that no matter what we faced in the years to come, we'd face it together, as a family.

And we'd be happy.


End file.
